ASSESSMENT OF HONEYBEE PRODUCTION PRACTICES AND HONEY QAULITY IN DARAMALO DISTRICT IN GAMO ZONE SOUTHWESTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

A study was carried out with 145 beekeepers and 18 honey samples to assess honeybee production practices, constraints and opportunities of honeybee production, honey quality and bee flora and flowering period in Dara malo district in Gamo zone Southwestern Ethiopia. The beekeepers and honey sample represented all agro ecologies (highland, midland and lowland). Three honey samples were also collected from local market which was in the district. A cross-sectional type of study was conducted to collect primary data using field survey. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select study kebeles and beekeepers. Honey physicochemical analysis was carried out at Holeta bee research center, Ethiopia. For field survey: focus group discussion, field observation, open-ended and closed-ended questionnaire were used for primary data collection. The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS version 23. Honeybee production was practiced by male households. About 98.6% of respondents keep their honeybees in traditional beekeeping system. The result obtained from this study indicated that the honeybee production system practiced in the study area was traditional. The source of bee colony for beekeepers was swarm catching. The major constraints of the study area were poisoning of honeybees due to agro chemical application, absconding and pests. Existence of fresh water, presence of honeybee colony and natural vegetation, field and horticultural crops were the main opportunities of beekeeping in the study area. Trend of honeybee colony and honey yield in the study area was decreasing due to management problems and uncontrolled agro chemical application to protect crops from pests. The mean moisture content, PH, free acid, ash and hydroxyl-methlfurfuraldhyde value of honey in the study area were 20.24±0.64, 3.98±0.03, 36.88±1.13,0.38±0.02 and 17.97±2.12, respectively. Analyzed physicochemical parameters of honey, such as moisture content, mineral (ash) content, acidity, pH and hydroxyl-methlfurfuraldhyde of the study area honey fulfills the national and international honey quality standard. There was significant difference (p<0.05) between pH and hydroxy-methylfurfuraldhyde and no significant difference (p>0.05) between locations for the other parameters. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between agro ecologies in honey production in traditional hives per harvest. There is a need to improve beekeeping practices in the study area.